WHAT'S HAPPENING

We opened our doors to the brewery in 2007, and great beer and good times have been flowing ever since. Our full service Beer Hall comes with a recent remodel of our beer garden, expanded range of beer taps and revamped interior.

Ungespundet sounds like so many things other than a beer. Nevertheless, it is indeed a style of beer and it’s a style that has been appreciated for so long that maybe, like us, you questioned your status of beer nerd for never having heard of it.

To define, Ungespundet or ‘unbunged’ is an Upper Franconian style Kellerbier, one of the oldest and most traditional beer styles still being brewed in one of the oldest brewing regions in the world”.
In the words of the beer god Michael Jackson (not the pop god) it’s “the unfiltered German Lager of your dreams. A true taste of Germany’s fast-vanishing artisanal tradition”.

With that in mind and with our Head Brewer (Ben) generously volunteering to spend his holidays doing copious amounts of liquid research on the other side of the world, we thought why not bring this style home and add a twist to it.

Knowing that harvest season was just around the corner, we saw an ideal opportunity to marry this natural style lager with fresh wet hops straight off the bine. So off went Ben at the crack of dawn to Hop Products Australia to pick up a metric truck load of fresh Ella hops.

The fresh cones were then added into the brew within hours of being picked to impart some very nice rich resin and green hop character.
The result is a lager that brings taste and character like nothing we’ve ever made before. Fermented on the cold side under atmospheric pressure (unbunged), this beer is completely unfiltered and unfined. Warm amber to light red in colour and lower in carbonation than your typical lager allows the drinker to be more sensitive to the rich malt balance in the beer. The addition of the fresh Ella hop brings a lingering green hop taste that coats the back palate and stays long after you’ve downed that last stein!

Big thanks to the team at Hop Products Australia for all their hard work and allowing us access to their fresh produce!

Originally crafted as a home brew recipe in a small shed in Bentleigh, our new Beer Hall seasonal was developed by Ed, one of the brewers here at 2Bros. Inspiration for the brew stemmed from one of his favourite brews, Ballast Points ‘Grapefruit Sculpin’ and the coincidental glut of grapefruit he ran into, thanks to a seemingly over excited Grapefruit tree.

Since the home brew recipe came to light, it has always been on the radar here at 2Brothers, especially with the recent introduction of our single batch ‘Beer Hall Series’. So with Ed’s blessing we are now sharing it with the general public!

Utilising organic grapefruit zest throughout the brewing process and a combination of fresh American hops that work to mimic and compliment the grapefruit flavour, we feel we’ve come out with a great tasting fresh IPA that stays true to its name!

Full list of venues where you can find this beer will be announced in the coming week!

When you look at this photo what words come to mind? ‘Poor timing’, ‘too excited’ and ‘overwhelmed perhaps?’

I think if you’ve suggested any of these you have hit the nail on the head. Unfortunately this is what happens when three giddy individuals are lucky enough go on their first tour of a hop farm, and what a tour it was.

With little in mind as to what to expect, it was incredible to see the scale of Hop Products Australia’s operation and how they’re dealing with the constant growth and demand for this ever evolving little flower. Lucky for us we were fortunate enough to visit the farm during harvest. This was realised when we were met by a shed in the middle of the country that smelt like tropical fruit and fresh lemon, not exactly what you expect when you walk into a shed in the middle of the high country, but boy did we not complain.

Walking around the farm, it was incredible to experience the aromas that burst out of this flower when it comes fresh of the plant. It’s something that none of us expected nor had ever smelt before. We all came away understanding why using the hop fresh off the plant, commonly known as ‘wet hopping’ could be so effective in brewing……future style perhaps?

Like many of us who share a common passion for good beer, there is often a shared appreciation for the all important hop. With the three of us having worked with our fair share over the years, it was truly a unique experience to see how this incredible smelling flower is transported from plant to pellet. It is something we all thoroughly enjoyed and something any hop head should get out and do!